Special Systems

Automated and Specialised Melting Solutions

Melting Furnaces for Every Need

We see ourselves not just as a standard industrial furnace system builder, but also as a system supplier of custom solutions for die-casters and foundries for Aluminum, Magnesium, Zinc and lead, even for special customer requirements. We encourage you to benefit from our extensive process knowledge that allows us to comprehend and implement solutions, even for complex tasks.

Example 1: Complete melting and casting lines for mould casting

High level automation for melting and dosing furnaces

Large-scale production requires a reliable and continuous supply of metal. Apart from high quality metal, a high degree of automation is required as well. For these applications we have developed a variety of melting, treatment and casting processes to provide for efficient casting. These systems are tailored to customers' specific needs we meet in an optimal configuration. The casting weight is between 5 and 70 kg/piece; for lower casting weights, speeds of up to 300 cycles per hour can be achieved. The liquid metal capacity of a casting line is presently 8,000 kg/h.

Example 2: Systems for the zinc industry

Individual process optimization for melting and holding

The melting and holding systems for the zinc industry are tailored to specific production processes, including zinc alloying or the supply of metal for continuous casting systems. These systems cover the entire process chain from the raw material via metal transfer to the final stage. The adjacent picture shows a melting and holding furnace for block and recycled material used in the production of battery casting. The layout was adapted to the customer's production conditions, especially with regards to the supply of material return as well as to the supply of liquid metal to the casting machine. The melting capacities of the systems are adapted as required for up to 10 t/h and the holding capacity for up to 50 t.

Case Study: Automated and Specific Melting Solutions

StrikoWestofen also offers solutions for highly automated foundry-specific melting demands. Examples realized recently include several systems for a northern German automotive manufacturer:

The manufacturer in question required a furnace concept which provides a high degree of automation and maximum metal quality. The furnace is charged via two roller conveyors, one for the returns and one for the ingots. Four loading containers can be set per roller conveyor. The mixing ratio of returns and ingots in the shaft can be varied. This allows extremely flexible operation while providing a large buffer volume between the individual loading processes of the roller conveyors. In each case, a shaft melting furnace StrikoMelter MH II-N 6000/3500 PurEfficiency was run for low energy consumption and low metal loss.

The heart of the concept, which achieves the maximum metal quality, is a tiltable holding furnace with a bath capacity of 20 tonnes. The transfer launder between holding furnace and melting furnace is aligned with the tilting axis and is hermetically sealed off from the surrounding atmosphere using an innovative sealing concept. In this way, the intrusion of oxygen into the system is eliminated. A siphon holds back the dross in the melting furnace, so that only clean melt is transferred to the holding furnace, where the metal is kept at the selected tapping temperature. As a result of the long residence time in the holding furnace, contamination-free molten metal forms under a thin protective oxide layer on the surface of the bath. In the next step, this metal is transferred to the transfer ladle by tilting the furnace. This is where another new development ensures maximum metal quality: thanks to careful tilting of the transfer ladle, the metal flows in with little turbulence. Upon completion of the filling process, the transfer ladle is automatically moved back into an upright position and moved to the impeller station.

At a glance

Maximum metal quality of the melt

Elimination of contact between the molten metal and the atmosphere

Contamination-free

Optimized, turbulence-free filling of the transfer ladle

Extremely flexible operation

Large buffer volume

High degree of automation

Low labour requirements

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